1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an apparatus for engaging and disengaging a vehicle's park brake through hydraulic and electrical actuation rather than by mechanical actuation by the vehicle operator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In an automatic transmission that employs a shift-by-wire (SBW) control Park, Reverse, Neutral and Drive ranges of the transmission are engaged and disengaged under electrical control. SWB systems have begun to replace the conventional shifter cable, which is used in automatic transmissions to control the park pawl and a hydraulic manual valve that feeds pressure to clutches that distinguishes the Neutral range from the Reverse and Drive ranges.
SBW systems generally are of two types: (i) electromechanical having redundant hardware and supplemental power, and (ii) electro-hydraulic having a redundant electro-mechanical path. Electro-hydraulic SBW systems allow for reduced cost, but generally do not cover unintended loss of the Park function with single point failures.